Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called the federal election for Saturday 18th of May kicking off a five week campaign.
The PM visited the Governor General this morning and soon afterwards appeared at Parliament House to lay out his pitch to the Australian people on why the government should be returned for a third term. The standard election will see all seats in the House of Representatives up for grabs, and half of those in the senate.
“I’m asking my fellow Australians today that on the 18th of May you vote Liberal and National around the country,” Morrison said. “I believe that we must win this election for the interests of our country.”
“We have a plan to make Australia stronger, and on the 18th of May Australians will have the opportunity to back that plan, as we are backing them.”
The election campaign will run over the school holidays, the Easter break, ANZAC Day and will end of the same day as Eurovision 2019.
The Prime Minister used his speech to highlight the government’s track record on managing the economy and his record of being the preferred Prime Minister over Labor’s Bill Shorten in successive polls.
“It’s the choice between a government that I lead, and the alternative of a Labor government run by Bill Shorten. You will have the choice between a government that is delivering a strong economy and will continue to do so, or Bill Shorten’s Labor party whose policies would weaken our economy.”
“You will have the choice to decide between a government that has fixed the budget, or Bill Shorten’s Labor party, which we know cannot manage money.”
The election will be the first time many new voters have visited the ballot box, during the marriage plebiscite campaign over 100,000 younger voters signed on to the electoral roll for the first time.
Answering questions from the media the Prime Minister said the era of revolving door Prime Ministers was over, noting that both major parties had changed their rules regarding how a leader could be replaced.
OIP Staff
